Robinson State Park

May 3, 2020 Sunny

This state park is mainly in Agawam, MA and follows the Westfield River. It has hiking and biking trails, and also a pond with a beach.

We followed a trail that led along the river to explore the main scenery of the park. It turns out that the varied elevations near the river provide for a diverse forest and the park also attracts plenty of migratory birds.

The trail and forest seemed open and sunny, and the paths were smooth.

Soon we reached a path along the river, which was pretty impressive. The Westfield River is very wide and fast flowing. According to Wikipedia, it’s the largest tributary to the Connecticut River, and is known for its whitewater rapids and scenery.

Although the picture looks close to the river, we actually were standing on a high bank. In fact, the path mainly stays about 50 feet or more above the river surface.

We followed a mainly level path through evergreen forests with a view of the river down the bank.

We saw some rhododendrons and small wildflowers as well. The late afternoon sun shining through the bare branches felt great and made the scenery more dramatic.

We also found a lovely little bridge over a small brook.

I think the highlight here was a chance to walk far above a wide and powerful river, and enjoy some varied terrain and scenery. This seemed special to me – usually we’re walking right next to a much smaller river or pond. The change of pace was unexpected and welcome.

• This park had an interesting variety of terrain and followed along the scenic Westfield River, which had some rapids.
• There were some good views of Westfield River from the high banks, which was a little different from the usual walk along the river.
• At this point, all the state parks are starting to blend together…
• Just a regular forest, bordering a river.
• We found rocks to paint and the path was foresty and it was a nice walk.

For more information: Robinson State Park official site.